


A Fragile Crown

by Astrid_Midnight



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: About Luna growing up, Coming to terms with fate, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exploring Noct & Luna’s relationship, F/M, Hurt & little comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Luna-focused, Obvious spoilers, Somewhat canon-compliant, character study (I think)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 04:28:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14253045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrid_Midnight/pseuds/Astrid_Midnight
Summary: She didn’t want to fall in love with him.It would’ve made saying goodbye a lot easier.





	A Fragile Crown

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a sad thing. Had most of this written for a while, but finally finished it. A bit nervous about how this turned out, but hope you enjoy!
> 
> Edit: I know that Noctis and Luna are 4 years apart, but here they’re the same age.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XV or its characters. Those belong to © Square Enix.

It wasn’t _fair_.

It was not fair that she had to die so that the darkness would be dispelled from the world.

That the responsibility for the world rested upon her shoulders.

That she had to die for the King of Light.

That the king she had to die for was also the one that she fell in love with.

* * *

When she was told as a child that she was the Oracle ordained to guide the King of Light to his destiny, she didn’t think much of the requirements. When she had told Noctis of the prophecy, they had made a promise to help each other, to have each other’s backs no matter what. That was expected of them as the Oracle and the Chosen, but this was a promise between friends (despite the circumstances).

They were such… _kids_ at the time.

Talks about one day going on a daring adventure to save the world from evil. It sounded like fairytale books Luna loved to read when she was little, about a dazzling prince whisking the princess off to a fantastical world.

Their lives almost sounded like a fairytale.

* * *

As it turned out, life was more of a tragic fairytale than a daring one.

Luna couldn’t forget the sorrowful look on Noctis’ face when she pulled her hand from Regis’. He had called her name but her fate was sealed. Either she stayed or leave her only family behind.

Luna made her choice. And now she was the princess locked in the tower.

Only, in this story, no one was able to save her.

* * *

Receiving letters from Noctis always made her day. Given that she was under lock and key in her own manor, Luna had little proper friends of her own. Her and brother rarely talked anymore (Ravus wouldn’t budge on his hatred for the King Regis and Noctis, by association) and the retainers either treated as a child who needed to be protected or a princess who deserved adoration.

But she didn’t need either of those things. Luna could take care of herself and she had done nothing to earn such respect. She may have been the Oracle but, in actuality, she was just as powerless as anyone else.

The only other person she had in her life was Gentiana, whom Luna was grateful to have. The Messenger had been a constant in Luna’s life ever since she was a child. Although she was a Messenger from the Astrals to the Oracle, she was always there when Luna needed her. However, Luna didn’t want to rely on her all the time. She didn’t want to always call out to her whenever she was in trouble. What sort of Oracle would she be if she never learned to be independent?

But when she read her letters from Noctis, it allowed her to be what she was. A kid. Even though the two of them were miles away, Luna felt that the Noctis was the only she could share her deepest feelings to. With Noctis, there was no judgement, because he was her friend. Her only real friend. He sometimes expressed his guilt for leaving whenever he heared about how lonely she was. That, if he had the power, he would whisk her away to Insomnia and they could camp out on the roof of the palace under the sparkling stars and gaze upon the mesmerising lights of the city.

She wanted the same thing so much that she cried.

* * *

Luna hissed as she wrapped a bandage over her bruised wrist. It was tender to the touch and trying to massage the pain away only further aggravated it.

However, Luna treated her injury with attentive precision. It was to be expected. She learned from experience.

She didn’t know what she did to warrant such a reaction from Caligo Uldor, but the army general seemed to get some twisted satisfaction from watching her squirm and struggle.

Was because she, the now most respected figure in all of Eos, was no match for Niflheim’s general? That she had no power to protect herself, which was easy to exploit?

She still couldn’t shake away the feeling of Uldor’s tight grip on her wrist before he threw her to the ground. Looming above her like an ominous shadow.

The bruises would fade, but the memories would last a lifetime.

Luna refused to let her resolve break. As much as she wanted to cry, it was common knowledge to not let your enemy see your weaknesses.

Besides, her tears were reserved for Luna herself. If the Oracle broke, she would letting down the whole of Eos.

* * *

Luna always tried to see the best in people, but she had to accept the fact that humans could be monsters as well.

She had already thought that way when Glauca cut down her mother, but she believed that there was at least someone in Niflheim with a shred of human decency.

She had yet to meet such a person.

* * *

If she wanted Ravus to stop supporting Niflheim, she should’ve just told him about Uldor. He could help her and things could possibly be back on the mend between the two of them.

However, she didn’t. Because she knew Ravus. He would go from one extreme to another. He would march up to Uldor and unleash his own terror in retaliation.

But that would cause more harm than good. Uldor would quickly overpower him as well and then he would become a victim of his abuse. Of course, she couldn’t be certain. Despite their differences, she couldn’t afford to take that risk.

* * *

For a few years, things got better.

Sure, she and Ravus still had problems communicating (she would try and make conversation and he would just plainly ignore her) and Uldor still unleashed his wrath upon her whenever he was furious with someone.

But things were somehow… happier. No matter what happened, Luna always eventually came out of it with a smile on her face. It was something she couldn’t put her finger on but Luna wasn’t complaining. Whether it was her frequent communication with Noctis or the reassurance that the darkness would be banished from the world, she was going to take any shred of happiness that she could regain.

* * *

Luna didn’t know much about teenagers her age but she knew that they definitely didn’t spend their sixteenth birthday being ordained as Oracle.

While her destiny to become Oracle was in her blood, she had never been properly ordained or had her healing powers and Bahamut’s Trident bestowed upon her. She was Oracle by birth but, in actuality, she was still an ordinary girl.

However, a week before her sixteenth birthday, Luna was brought some unexpected news: she was going to become the youngest Oracle ordained in recorded history. The fact that Niflheim, the Empire who ruined their lives in the first place, planned to carry out the ordination themselves struck her as odd.

For a moment, Luna was worried that the Astrals were not going to allow this due to the circumstances. Niflheim was responsible for the previous Oracle’s- her mother’s- death. Not only that, but that they had also slain Shiva, so it was concerning to think that the Astrals wouldn’t allow the Empire to carry out an ordination. However, calling for Gentiana, the Messenger appeared with a smile on her face, reassuring Luna. She didn’t feel ready to be Oracle because of her age, but if Gentiana believed that it was time, it must’ve been a good sign.

At first, Luna couldn’t gauge why Niflheim was insistent on ordaining her as Oracle when she was still so young. But then she realised that it was probably because of that exact reason. Niflheim was disliked by the masses so what better way to distract the people?: make incredible history by organising Luna’a ordination.

However, she didn’t have time to ponder over Niflheim’s propaganda tactics. She had a ceremony to prepare for.

* * *

Dressed in her Oracle garbs, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret ascended the steps up to the altar set up for her. She had heard the story behind her mother’s ordination when she was a child and tried to think back to prepare herself for her own.

_After the Trident was handed to me, I could already hear the voices of the Astrals. I could understand them as if they were speaking our language. You may feel afraid at first, but there is nothing to worry about. I can’t explain, but once the feeling subsides, it’s actually a beautiful thing to hear._

Despite hearing what the ordination was like, Luna still didn’t know what to fully expect. Her hands trembled as her mother’s Trident was handed to her, shivering as she felt the relic’s chill under her fingers. She could already feel the light magic flow through her veins as if she were unlocking her true potential.

From now own, she not only had a duty of preserving the light of the world, but also to the people. She now had the power to heal the injured and tainted and Lunafreya Nox Fleuret would do everything she could to fulfil that duty.

All of a sudden, the voices of the Astrals grew silent and, after a moment, took a much different tone. Their voices began to overlap and-

She heard it. She _saw_ it.

What her role as Oracle _really_ meant.

* * *

It baffled Luna how she was able to keep a straight face during her speech. After receiving her message from the Astrals, she thought that she would collapse from the grief. The crowds of people cheered for their new Oracle and she smiled gently at their words of encouragement. Her words seemed to have struck a chord within the nation and, if she was already giving the people hope, that was a victory in her eyes.

She had been escorted back to her room in the manor an, once the door was closed behind her, Luna buried her face in her hands and wept. Her makeup was smudged across her features but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Luna already knew that the role of the Oracle came with a heavy burden but she didn’t expect-

She didn’t expect-

That she needed to _die_.

Seeking to distract herself from the tragic revelation, Luna changed out of her Oracle garbs, back into her regular fatigues and sat at her desk to wipe off her makeup. However, nothing could take her mind off her destiny. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry.

What else could she do? She didn’t have it in her to shout or break something, as much as she wanted to do those things. This whole time, the destiny that she was raised for required her to die. The Astrals are supposed to aid the King of Light-Noctis- in his quest to banish the darkness but to do so, Luna has to be the one to forge the covenants between them. But, like everything else in the world, it all came at a price.

Her life.

It was never explicitly stated to her but Luna could tell that her health would eventually deteriorate with every covenant forged. Until, of course, there was nothing left to give.

A slight chill blew across the room and Luna knew exactly who that was. She turned around in her chair to see Gentiana with a sorrowful expression on her face, her eyes open. It was rare to see the Messenger with her eyes open and Luna knew why she was making an exception. A part of her wanted to march up to Gentiana and demand _why?_ Why her? Why was she the one who had to die? Why did she have to give up more than what was taken from her?

However, she didn’t do any of that. She didn’t have the heart of to let it out in the form of demands. Instead, she turned back around in her chair and continued to cry. It seemed like that was all she could do right now. She flinched slightly when she felt slim arms wrap around her but soon relaxed in the embrace. She felt Gentiana lightly stroke her hair comfortingly and Luna let her.

She needed this support and it wasn’t like she was going to get it from anyone else.

* * *

She had to make her peace with it. She had to.

The world and Noctis were counting on her and, if the darkness was to be dispelled, she couldn’t afford any failures.

One morning, before she was to be called for her healing duties, Luna had some time alone in her sylleblossom field, weaving a small flower crown. She had always been told by her mother that she had absolute faith that she would become a strong and unwavering ruler.

Luna huffed as she placed the crown on her head. She didn’t feel like any of those things. Letting her eyes close, Luna allowed the autumn breeze to brush against her skin and the petals in her hair. For a moment, Luna allowed herself a moment of peace from everything.

A slight nudge at her side broke her away from the moment and Luna opened her eyes to see one of her faithful companions. Umbra barked as he placed his front paws on her lap and licked her cheek happily. Luna giggled as she smelt the obvious scent of meat on his breath. Noctis must’ve fed him. Again. She ruffled the top of his head softly before taking the red notebook from the green sling around his back.

Once she had reached the most recent page, she saw a tiny envelope fall into her lap. Luna frowned and picked it up and stared at it quizzically before reading the Noctis’ message.

_The world couldn’t have asked for a better Oracle. You got this, Luna. Know that, no matter the distance, I’ll always support you._

Below the message was a picture of Noctis giving a thumbs up and that smile that she always found so endearing.

And then, under the weight, Luna broke. Everything that had led her to this moment snapped her resolve in two.

Tears falling, Luna pushed through the situation and picked up the tiny envelope. After ripping the top open, a small item fell into her palm. Luna rubbed the tears away so that she could see what it was.

A necklace chain with a crescent moon charm in the centre with a little star slightly above it. Luna held it up by the chain and couldn’t help but admire the way both charms twinkled in the sun. She gave a sad smile as she clasped the gift around her neck. She held the charms in her hand. He didn’t have to go through the trouble. Nonetheless, she was grateful to have a friend like Noctis. The best and only friend she had.

But… what if what she was feeling was something more? Luna choked back a sob as that thought entered her mind.

* * *

She didn’t want to fall in love with him.

It would’ve made saying goodbye a lot easier.

Yet here she was, sitting in a field of fragile flowers, wearing a childish imitation of a crown and clutching a gift from a prince that will never be hers.

Weeping for a future that she will never be a part of.

* * *

Luna had an hour before she would be summoned for her daily duties. She sighed as she picked up the notebook and brushed herself down only to realise that she had dirtied her dress. Now she would have to change into a different one. She delicately picked up one of the flowers and headed back into her bedchamber.

She lazily kicked off her shoes and threw herself onto her bed. Luna had cried herself dry and now she felt hollow inside. Rearranging her hair into a simple ponytail, she picked up a pen and opened the notebook and began writing her response.

There was time. The world could wait.

_Thank you so much for the gift, Noctis. I’ll cherish it forever. And know that, I too, will support you no matter what._

Luna looked down at the sylleblossom she picked and bit her lip nervously in thought. After a moment, she made her way to her desk and rummaged through it. She pulled out a small roll of silver ribbon and cut off a substantial length. She placed the ribbon under the stem of the flower and tied a knot around it and into a little bow. Luna smiled at the sight of it and then placed it with her response.

She tucked the notebook back into Umbria’s sling and gave a light tickle under his chin. The dog licked her hand and trotted towards the open door. In that moment, Pryna entered the room and barked lightly at Umbra. He whined and nuzzled his nose beside her face and quickly left after that.

Luna let out a puff of air as she fell back on her bed and placed a hand over her eyes. She knew that she had to come to terms with her fate. What more could she do within the confines of Tenebrae?

However, the revelation of her fate didn’t change anything. She was still the Oracle and the responsibility of protecting the world rested on her shoulders. If Luna even thought about abandoning that for her own safety, what sort of person would that make her?

Too many had suffered as a result of the war. She couldn’t let those who survived fall to the hands of darkness.

* * *

Noctis sending pictures of him with his friends brought more comfort than it did before. That, throughout everything that was going on, Noctis still had the support of the men that he considered to be brothers. She couldn’t help but give a small laugh at the mention of him befriending Prompto. She was still grateful for him helping Pryna a few years back and was all the more relieved to see that he and Noctis got along so well.

She knew that Noctis had a hard time opening up to others when he was younger, preventing him from making friends at school as a result. So to see him look so happy with someone from school gave her comfort to know that, if anything undesirable happened, Noctis would have their love and support.

* * *

Marriage.

Luna definitely didn’t expect that to come her way at the young age of twenty-four. Yet here she was, being presented a treaty between Lucis and Niflheim.

With her and Noctis marrying to be a symbol of the peace. Luna laughed bitterly. One never usually associated Niflheim with the word ‘peace’. News from the Empire has become silent so this came as a shock.

On the one hand, seeing Noctis again. On other, obvious ruse.

* * *

She wanted to go to him more than ever. She had the chance, she could leave and find him outside of the kingdom. But she couldn’t. Leaving would mean that the Empire would follow, yes, but being with Noctis would mean having to eventually telling him the truth.

But she couldn’t. Not now. After hearing about the engagement, he sounded so happy in his letter at the prospect of seeing her again. Being together would only throw that happiness away.

Either way, no matter how much she stalled it, her pain would only result in Noctis’ pain.

Luna balled her fists at her side. It wasn’t fair.

Why did he care about her?

Why did _she_ love him?

* * *

The only thing that would make the situation worse was not Noctis caring about her.

It was if Noctis loved her back.

As much as she wanted his love so badly deep down, she didn’t want Noctis to love her.

Luna never felt so selfish.

* * *

By the time Luna had reached Altissia, she struggled to stand up straight. The strain of the covenants were taking a grave toll on her body and she felt like the next one would kill her.

Yet, despite her faltering strength, Luna found the resolve to stand before the citizens before her.

She made a vow to protect the world and banish the darkness and Luna intended to keep it.

* * *

When she saw a flash of black and a pair of magical blue eyes, Luna felt her knees shake under the weight. If she wasn’t standing before an audience, she would’ve rushed off the podium and wrapped her arms around him.

However, all she could muster was a smile and a knowing nod. Noctis nodded back and smiled the same smile that she had grown to love.

Just for a little longer, just until after the covenant would she hold herself as the Oracle. The minute it was over, the moment they saw each other again, she would drop the act.

Around Noctis, she could let down her barriers. Around Noctis, she wouldn’t have to hide her vulnerabilities out of fear of judgement or mockery.

Around him, she could just be _Luna_.

* * *

In a void of ghostly flowers, Luna held out the one blossom that didn’t fade with the surroundings. One final gesture, one final gift. She felt herself floating away but, as much as she wanted to, she didn’t fight it. She couldn’t. The remnants of her life were fading away for good.

Between her and Noctis was a broken promise of a future together. It was done for the sake of the world, but what she wouldn’t give for just one day with him…

The tears flowed freely as she saw Noctis helplessly flail about in a desperate attempt to reach her. Her hand was still stretched out from handing over the sylleblossom but, deep down, Luna wanted their hands to meet, for Noctis to pull her out of the depths and into the light with him.

But that wouldn’t happen and, as much as Luna hated it, this was the way it had to be. For the sake of the world a King and a Queen were unable to reunite right when a future could’ve been theirs.

She would always stand by Noctis’ side. Even if he couldn’t always see her, she would never leave him alone. If there was one promise that she could keep, it was that she would support him no matter what. However, as she fell away, she couldn’t fight the exhaustion beating down at her.

With the final sight of her beloved rising above and away from her, Luna closed her eyes, the faint scent of flowers easing her soul to rest.


End file.
